In preparing various food items a common step usually involves stirring any number of ingredients together. In some cases the stirring process must be done continuously as is common in the preparation of certain soups, sauces, and puddings. If due to any number of reasons the stirring process is neglected, avoided, or abandoned, the food item may become burnt because of localized overheating of the food mixture. At the very least, a lack of stirring will result in a non-homogenous food product that is unevenly cooked thereby having an inconsistent taste. It is likely that the resulting food item will be offensive to the user or cook and will end up being thrown away.
While stirring systems that stir the contents of a cooking vessel are known, they exhibit many disadvantages. One disadvantage involves the overall size and complexity of these systems. Some systems require a physical and permanent installation either to the cooking surface, a wall surface, or the cooking vessel itself. These permanent type installations are unattractive and often consume precious work space. Another disadvantage involves the proximity of the stirring elements to the cooking vessel. Often the stirring elements neglect to fully agitate the food mixture that may become attached to the inner wall and bottom surfaces of the cooking vessel. Yet another disadvantage relates to the design of the stirring elements. Most stirring elements are generally flat. As explained herein, a flat stirring element is less effective at stirring because it tends to push fluid and other food items toward the center of the cooking vessel. This may result in a swirling vortex where only certain ingredients will be mixed. Still another disadvantage involves the overall orientation of the various components required to stir the contents of the cooking vessel. Most stirring systems consume most if not all of the opening of the cooking vessel. This makes it extremely difficult for the user to observe, add ingredients to, or remove portions of the food mixture while these stirring systems are attached or operating. Yet another disadvantage involves the user's ability to adjust the speed of the stirring system of the system. Some systems may offer various speed settings, however, these speed settings are often too slow or too fast to obtain optimal mixing.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic stirring system.